Soki
It was a hot July afternoon when I heard loud howls coming from my neighbor's house. Concerned, I walked over to see what was going on. To my surprise, I learned that she was fostering a beagle that had given birth to six puppies one month prior. The beagle mama's name was Penny, and she spent seven(ish) years of her life at Envigo—a pharmaceutical animal testing facility were she was underfed, never loved, living in a filthy cage (never touched grass), and forced to have multiple litters each year. It was after this massive rescue and shut down of Envigo where Ahsoka's life (and her mama, Penny's *best* life) began. When I first laid eyes on Ahsoka, it was like all of the other puppies around her disappeared. I only had eyes for her! She was the tiniest pup with the most unique black marking on her face, almost like she was wearing a Batman mask. I quickly filled out the adoption papers and got approved to adopt her. One year later, and she's still as energetic and loving as ever. She loves to eat, snuggle, annoy her two maltese sisters, play with her friends at the dog park, and the best part of all...SHE GETS TO VISIT HER MAMA PENNY EVERY WEEK. Yes, her mama was what my neighbor calls a "foster fail." She simply couldn't give her to another home. Today, Penny is doing amazing. She loves to take naps in her humans' beds and eat all of the snacks. (Seriously, she's gained about 12 healthy pounds since my neighbor first adopted her!) Sometimes, when I look at Soki, I think about the torturous life she might've had if the testing facility was never shut down—it makes my heart hurt! Beagles have SO much love to give, and I am so blessed to be on this journey with my angel baby, Soki.